Zelah Marlene “Marti” Albert

June 7, 1951 — February 1, 2019

Zelah Marlene "Marti" (Mulkey) Albert died in Albany on February 1, 2019, at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer.

Marti is survived by her beloved husband, Robert Albert; daughter and son-in-law, Brandi and Ben Keeth of Stayton, Oregon; her daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Bob Martin of Philomath; her grandchildren, Bindi (11) and Marley (7) Keeth and Abby Martin (11); as well as sister, Kendra and her husband, Ed and daughter, Kirsten Knudson of Santa Rosa, California; sister, Kayra and her husband, Dennis Dobbin of Oren, Utah; and brother, Clifford Fivecoat of Emmett, Idaho, as well as a host of other wonderful family members and friends.

She is preceded in death by her son, Craig Albert, who passed at the age of 14; and brother, Kenneth Duane "KD" Mulkey.

Marti was born on June 7, 1951 in Santa Rosa, California, to Ken and Zelah Mulkey. She graduated from Santa Rosa High School in 1969.

She moved to Oregon in 1971 where she met and married Robert Albert of Scio in 1973, having met at her parents’ bar, Rocky’s.

She had a variety of interests and wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Instead, she got two associates degrees, obtained a beautician’s license and started a car upholstery business before she started on what would become her primary career with Social Security. In 1976, she began working at the Albany Social Security office as a claims clerk. She then worked in various offices including Salem, Eugene, Vancouver, Portland Downtown and Kennewick. She retired from Social Security as a Technical Expert in Albany in 2006.

Marti was accomplished at sewing, reading, cutting hair, organizing, genealogy, and being a supportive and dedicated mother, grandmother and wife. She loved playing Mrs. Claus at Christmas Storybook Land and was passionate about traveling with her husband, Robert. They went wherever the wind took them. All she needed was a “change of underwear,” as she used to say. They once traveled to Montana for pizza on a whim.

She will be remembered for her love of rocks and all the rock trips they experienced. She will be remembered for her clam chowder, her laughter and her strength. She was a smart as a whip and read anything she could get her hands on. She will be missed dearly.